Lot's of great advice in here. I'll see what I can add to this conversation.
Before I'd recommend going after new business, personally I'd do the following:
- Think of a name for yourself
- Get a DBA under that name
- Price out some business insurance for yourself
Once you get that squared away start promoting yourself.
I think having some sort of web presence is very important, even if you keep it pretty simple. This will give you some free/cheap exposure as well as a reference to give customers and it builds more credibility for your work. Start off with a 1 pager about yourself and your business and be sure to talk about the area you live in. Why is this important? Well if you want to get any traffic from people looking for "detailer in your area", then "your area" better be on your web page. It's worth mentioning the town, city, and county you cater to, and possibly even some popular locations near you. The next best thing you can do on your web page/site is display some of your work so that people have an opportunity to see what you can do, which will convert more sales.
Create a business card with your information and don't forget to include your web address. I found that the best prices on business cards and other print material are from gotprint [dot] com . 1000 cards that are color and glossy on both sides is only $15.99. I can vouch for the quality of the prints, they are top notch.
Your own vehicle is an advertisement for your business, do your best to keep it well maintained.
Go to some local car hang outs. As others have mentioned, these people care about their cars the most and will listen to what you have to say. If you offer swirl removal services, that's usually an easy ice breaker. You can usually spot out which cars have swirls and begin talking about how to correct the imperfections. Start by educating them, explain the process, how you need a quality buffer, etc. Chances are you're knowledge will impress them and you can lead into saying that you detail on the side and you can help improve their finish. If you keep your vehicle in great shape, you can bring them over to yours and compare the finishes. From what I've experienced, once you do a couple of people in a particular car group, they talk, spread the word and more members will be contacting you for details. I've offered group deals in the past, which I tried avoiding lowering my pricing, but offered more service for their money, like an extra coat of wax or some other free add on service.
Hand out business cards! Anytime I saw a qualified car in a parking lot I'd put a business card above the handle, wedged between the window seal and the glass. This way they have to see it and pick it off. Some people will throw it away (or on the ground) but you will eventually get calls. It's a numbers game, the more you put out the more calls you'll get. Any time I'd go out somewhere, I'd take a long walk around the parking lot and target potential customers. I typically went for Audi's, BMW's, Lexus, Mercades, Acura's, big SUV's (especially if they had rims), or some sport compact cars that were modified. Cards are so cheap, it only takes 1 detail to pay for themselves so hand them out as much as you can. Give stacks to your family to give out to their close friends. When I first started out, that was a good portion of my business. When you do good work, word spreads quickly.
Try to team up with businesses who could complement your services. Potential candidates are window tinting, paintless dent repairs, body shops, upholstery shops, vinyl graphic shops, local after market part shops, tuning garages, etc. Another thing you can do is talk to people who are in touch with a lot of professionals like insurance agents, financial advisers, real estate people, etc. Work something out with them, like if you send me 5 details, I'll do your car for free (just an example).
Word of mouth will be your best source of new customers, but it takes those initial ones to get the ball rolling. Don't be afraid in the beginning to lower your price or even do some for free. Find a local car event and donate a detail for an advertising spot. If you do end up doing details at a reduced rate, I'd recommend telling the customer that this is a promotional detail and make sure they know your normal price is higher so when they call you back, you can charge accordingly.
Follow up with your past customers. Be sure to collect their contact information, whether it's email, phone number, or physical address. Make sure you're comfortable with the method of contact too. If you're not a phone person, get their e-mail addy. As you give your customer their keys back, and you can tell they are pleased with your work, let them know that you'll touch base with them in advance so it's not as awkward following up with them. Don't let this slip either, the chances of landing a detail 6 months from now is much greater than if you call them 2 years from now. Another thing to do when handing the customer their keys is to let them know that their protection is going to last between 4 ~ 6 months with a sealant or 3 ~ 8 weeks with most waxes. Some people think they only need to detail their vehicles once a year, so you want to nail it in their heads that it should be more frequently.
Go the extra mile for your initial customers. Sometimes I'd include a free service, like an engine detail, which would take me 20 minutes. This gives you another opportunity to show case your work, they trust you more and are more likely to refer you to friends and family. I always kept a few different types of air fresheners around too and when I called them to let them know their car was almost finished, I'd ask them what type of scent they'd like.
Some things NOT to do:
- Do not over promise the customers. Know your limits of what you can or cannot do. If you tell a customer that you are capable of removing a scratch or swirls and you can't, it leaves a bad taste in their mouth. Same goes for time estimates.
- Do not leave the glass streaked. This is a huge pet peeve for many people. I'd do the most amazing transformations on someones paint and you know what they'd say to me? "How did you get the glass so clean." When you improve someones vision they really take notice, when you hinder their vision, they notice even more.
- Do not show up late. If you are running late shoot them a quick call in advance letting them know you are stuck in traffic or whatever. Your customers are hiring you because their time is valuable, do not waste theirs.
This is just some of the essentials I can think of off the top of my head. I didn't even get into online advertising which could get long winded and it's 1:15AM for me and I'm beat. I can assure you that if you follow the advice above, you will not have any issues getting new customers. One last note, you have to be outgoing and creative on how you bring up that you detail professionally. Anyone who owns a car is a potential customer (some are more qualified than others, but you'd be surprised who is interested in a detail).
Hope this helps, best of luck on your new business venture!
George
